This blog has nothing to do with gorillas (though I love 'em)...fellow bloggers have inspired me to share vintage images of Disneyland from my personal collection. But don't be surprised if you see something from a World's Fair, Knott's Berry Farm, or someplace else that is cool!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Back in the 70's, you could fly to Japan; OR you could just go to Buena Park's Japanese Village and Deer Park. Conveniently located just a few miles from Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm! I was lucky enough to go there a few times, and always enjoyed its beauty and exotic ambiance.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think that this building was a gift shop, even though it looks pretty grand for a place hawking souvenirs. I remember buying an oyster in a can, guaranteed to contain a pearl when the oyster shell was pried open. I also remember the smell when I opened the can. Phew! Somebody shoulda warned me.

There's just something peaceful and relaxing about koi fish, swimming gracefully in all their variety of colors and patterns. These must have been the world's happiest koi, since visitors were constantly tossing handfuls of mysterious pellets into the water.

9 comments:

Although I drove by Japanese Village & Deer Park many a time (usually on the way to The Happiest Place on Earth), I never visited it. However in my souvenir collection, I do have one of those 11" round, gold-trimmed metal "trays", adorned with many "scenes", supposedly from Japanese Village - but look suspiciously generic in their depiction. Sorry, no koi fish; but there several dancing bears, dolphins, and even a seal balancing a ball on its nose. (Looks more like Marineland).

Nanook, I haven't seen many souvenirs from JV at all, and none that I consider to be really "wow" items. They're all kind of junky, which is a shame since I would love to get something to remind me of my visits way back when. The tray sounds very similar to versions that I've seen from Disneyland, Knott's, and yes, Marineland.

Rich T., I recall that there was a pearl inside... probably a plastic bead with a millionth of an inch of nacre on the outside. I probably lost it in my junk drawer (did you have one of those?) years ago.

In the late '80s, while working for Hughes Aircraft (fullerton), I worked in the Village Industrial Park. It turned out to be the location of the JDP. There was a large open field (not yet completed construction) containing a lot of river rocks. I thought it was unusual, and realized they were from the fish pond. Kept it, and still have it.

Yes, Japanese Village & Deer Park became Enchanted Village. I never made it there after the change (I think it closed a year or two after that), but I do have fond memories of visiting JV with my family. I also have a few some souvenirs that I've been meaning to post for a while now!

Sorry I'm a day late on this - I was at Disneyland yesterday :)This link will take you to some photos taken in Oct. 1969 of a trip my Mom, Dad and I took to Japanese Deer Park. I made this album public on Facebook so you can see them.https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1435404769814.2058837.1373800234&type=3

The building pictured is actually the former "Golden Pavilion" at Sea World San Diego's Japanese Village, which closed in the late 1980's and was re-designed into a manta-ray petting area....then recently was completely demolished and replaced by a manta-themed roller-coaster ride.